30 Jul

So weâ€™ve talked about different items that symbolize the Goddess. But knowing what these symbols are doesnâ€™t really do you very much good if you donâ€™t know how to use these symbols in magick, now does it? Of course, the choices you have for how to use these Goddess symbols are endless. When you create your own spells or rituals, you can incorporate these symbols into your magick in a variety of ways. But, as some of you may not know anything about the use of some of these symbols, it is important to at least cover the basics to get you started.

One of the simplest ways to incorporate these symbols into your magick is by using the item as a representation of the Goddess on your alter. When working magick and setting up your altar, you should always have a representation of both the God and the Goddess to help strengthen your magick. Since it is not always easy to find a statue that you feel perfectly represents the Goddess, you can use a symbol of her instead.

But, you can also use each of these symbols in different spells to help obtain your goals and desires as well. For instance, when working fertility magick, symbols that represent the womb or female parts of the Goddess can be used to increase the power of the spell. Cowrie shells, conch shells, roses and ocean water are all very powerful for fertility magick.

When working a spell, these items can be included into your ritual to help make your fertility magick strong. Cowrie shells can be infused with magick during a spell to help increase fertility, and then carried or worn by the individual suffering from fertility issues. A small amulet that contains cowrie shells and rose petals that is sprinkled with ocean water is a very powerful fertility booster. Cowrie shells can be placed under, or sewn into a pillow so that a woman can receive their power even while she sleeps or performs intercourse.

As I have mentioned before, apples are also a symbol of the Goddess and can have many different uses in magick. Apples are a sign of luck, fertility and knowledge of the divine. When performing a spell for any of these matters, a simple way to incorporate the power of the apple into your spell is to simply eat the apple. (Make sure of course that the apple is clean and organic, as apples coated in pesticides can have a negative effect on your ritual work.) You can also dry the seeds of the apple and grind them into a powder to burn as incense.

The reality is, any Goddess symbol can be used with great power in spells that invoke the Goddess for assistance. The Goddess knows your true heartâ€™s desire and can recognize and appreciate your intentions no matter the symbol you use. You do not have to have an actual rose to represent a symbol of the Goddess. You can use a drawing of a rose and the Goddess will recognize the offering and symbolism all the same. It is what is in your heart that matters. If your mind, body and spirit are true, and focused on your spells intentions, the Goddess will hear your call and recognize the intended symbolism of whatever materials you have at hand.

23 Jul

Anyone that has ever tried to perform a spell, no matter how simple it may be, can say one thing with a certainty; performing magick is hard work! Sometimes, the task is made more difficult, and possibly even impossible, by common mistakes that both beginning and even more advanced witches can make.

Performing magick takes concentration, dedication and a certain process. There is a reason why we have certain tasks that we should always do, or not do, when performing a spell or ritual. If you find that your magick is lacking energy, or that your spells fail to work, you may discover that you are making some of these common mistakes. By making a few changes to how you perform your magick, you may find that you will have much greater success.

Performing Magick Under Bad Circumstances

There are times to perform magick, and times that itâ€™s best to wait. If you attempt to perform a spell or ritual when you are sick, tired, stressed, aggravated, etc., these poor energies can have a negative influence on your magick and cause the ritual to fail, and sometimes even backfire. Other bad circumstances can include performing your magick in the wrong environment. If you are trying to perform a ritual while you have the kids knocking on the door for your attention, while trying to multi-task and cook dinner at the same time or with the phone ringing off the hook, it is impossible for you to direct all of your energies to your magick. Wait until you can quietly, calmly perform your spell to help achieve the greatest success.

Failure to Cast a Circle

There is a solid reason why witches cast a circle prior to performing any magick. Casting a protective circle before performing magick helps to block out negative energies that not only have the potential to be dangerous, but can create a great deal of trouble for your magick as well. Your spells may fail to bear fruit, or may perform in a manner completely opposite from your desires. Casting a circle is one of the first magickal practices that a witch should learn, as it is one of the most important. No matter how small the spell, casting a circle should always be one of the first steps performed.

Blowing Out a Candle

Candles are commonly used in magick spells and rituals. What some people are unaware of is that using candles incorrectly can have a severely negative impact on how well your ritual turns out. The most common misuse of candles in magick is blowing on the candles. At the end of a ritual, you should never, ever blow out a candle to extinguish the flame. Blowing out the candle can cause the energies of the magick you just performed to be blown away before it can begin to work. Additionally, if you are calling upon the elements, blowing a candle out does have the potential to anger the fire elements, causing your spell to fail. When using candles in magick, you should either let the candles burn until they burn themselves out, or use a candle-snuffer to extinguish the flame.

These are just a few of the mistakes that are made when performing magick, but they are the most commonly seen. If you have been doing any of these things when performing your magick, chances are you have been experience a poor outcome in your work. Fortunately, it is very easy to make just a few simple changes to correct your mistakes and have a better outcome in your magickal endeavors.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring â€œResident Witch in Chargeâ€

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16 Jul

Symbols are an important part of every faith. From Buddha statues to the Crucifix, to the Star of David or and the Pentacle, just about every faith has a symbol that is important to them. In the Wiccan faith, or any Pagan faith for that matter, we have a number of different symbols that represent a variety of things to us. Some symbols we use to represent the Gods or Goddesses themselves, while others are used to represent other things when we practice magic.

Many of the symbols that we use in magick we use to represent either the God or the Goddess. In Wicca, since we tend to honor the Goddess more often than not, many of the symbols that we use reflect the power of the Goddess. Most Wiccans, even beginners, are aware of some of the more commonly used Goddess symbols like the moon, the circle or the spiral, but there are many other symbols that represent the Goddess as well that can be quite powerful when used in magick.

Rose

The rose is a powerful symbol of the Goddess. The petals of the rose are representative of the vulva of the Goddess, the sacred gateway through which everything on life is born.

Cowrie Shell

The cowrie shell is another symbol that is representative of the birth canal of the Goddess. Some scholars believe that the cowrie shell was actually one of the original symbols of the Goddess, as there is evidence of its use dating back to 20,000 B.C.

Ocean

The ocean is symbolic of the womb of the Goddess, its waters bringing forth life to the world. The waters of the ocean are symbolic of the amniotic fluid we form in, the blood in our veins, the salty sweat of our brow and the salt of our tears.

Apple

The apple is a symbol of the Goddess and is mentioned in many faiths as a symbol of importance. The apple played an important part even in Christian faith, as it was the forbidden fruit eaten by Eve in the Garden of Eden. When Eve consumed the apple, she was given wisdom, or more specifically, the knowledge that she was Divine. As we recognize the Goddess as Divine, the apple is symbolic of the Goddess and the Divine knowledge she wishes to bestow upon us. It is also worth noting than when an apple is divided evenly in half, the shape of the seeds within form the shape of a pentacle, another symbol of the Divine.

Shell

There are other shells that are symbolic of the Goddess as well besides the cowrie shell. Spiral shaped shells or conch shells are also symbolic of the Goddess and can make powerful magic. The spiral shells are representative of the spiral shape that is symbolic of the Goddess and is one of the most commonly used symbols in Magick. Conch shells, with their unique shape, also represent the womb of the Goddess.

There are of course, many other symbols that are used in Wicca to represent the Goddess and her divine form. Some symbols, such as the Eye of Maat, may be used only in certain forms of Paganism. Other Goddess symbols are variations of commonly used symbols, such as the double spiral or triple spiral which can be used in place of the standard spiral, or the crescent moon which is more recognizable as a moon symbol than the full moon symbol which may be confused with a circle.

All of these symbols represent the feminine side of the Divine. All of these symbols can be used in any form of Paganism, just as any symbol that represents the Goddess can be used in Wicca. There are various methods in which you can employ these symbols in your magick, which I will cover in a future posting.

09 Jul

Did you know that there are three indispensable tools that you need to practice magick? Without them, not only will you never be successful in completing any spell or ritual, but you will also never be able to connect with the Divine to truly find your spiritual path.

These essential tools are sometimes the most difficult for the beginning witch to obtain. They cannot be found in any store, or even harvested from Mother Nature herself. What are these fundamental tools of magick? Well, to find them you only need to look inside yourself, for they are your mind, body and heart!

You can have the largest collection of magick tools available, but all of the cauldrons, candles and crystal balls in the world will amount to nothing if your mind, body and heart are not completely in-tune with the magick. You can meditate, perform spells and rituals, wear pagan jewelry and clothing, be attentive to natureâ€¦go through all of the motions of being a witch, but if your body, heart and mind are not devoted than all you are really doing is â€œplayingâ€ witch.

Not only is your mind, body and heart the most indispensable tools you will need to practice magick, they are also your own personal compass for finding the path of the Divine. When you learn to listen to your body talk, you learn to listen to the directions it is giving you for finding your spiritual path. Your body, heart and mind will tell you everything you need to know.

Unfortunately, this is sometimes easier said than done. In many cases, beginner witches want to skip to the fun stuff and start practicing magick as soon as possible. They often then wonder why their magick seems to bear no fruit. This often leads to abandonment of the craft, and adds to the belief that magick is a hoax since they were unable to attain their desires. They fail to realize that the fault lay in them, for they did not take the proper time to first get their mind, body and heart truly on the path.

In my personal opinion, one of the best ways to truly find the correct path to the spiritual Divine is to take a step outside of the boxâ€¦literally. Step outside and get back to nature. Open your heart to the beauty of the world around you. After all, in a sense nature is our religion. Every part of the world around us is a gift from the God and Goddess. Nature is the Divine. Spending time getting to know Mother Earth and truly becoming aware of the wonders around you is one of the best ways to begin to attune your heart, mind and body to the spiritual path ahead of you.

Next, begin to develop your abilities, both mentally and physically. Now, by physically I donâ€™t mean itâ€™s time to start hitting the gym and working out. However, in order for your mind and heart to be clear and strong, your physical body needs to be healthy. Start making changes in your life that help to improve your physical self and you will see a change in not only your mental clarity, but your entire well-being as well.

With your mind clearer, you will better be able to work on improving your mental skills. Some necessary mental skills to follow any spiritual path, especially the path of the Craft, are learning to concentrate and focus your thoughts and command the direction of those thoughts. These two skills are essential to successfully perform spells and rituals.

Next, find an area of magick that truly interests you and calls to you and begin to focus your energies on learning the art inside and out. Put your entire heart, mind and body into it. Start practicing your magick every day. There is nothing wrong with experimenting in different areas of magick at one time, but make sure whatever you do has your complete and total mental devotion. Make it part of your daily routine. Allow it to become part of your heart, mind and body. If you are going to follow the path, make the commitment to follow it with your entire being.

If you make that commitment, you will reap the rewards of a spiritual awakening that will change your life forever.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring â€œResident Witch in Chargeâ€

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02 Jul

Love spells can be a tricky bit of magick. Some witches will tell you that working any type of love spell is wrong as it can interfere with another individualâ€™s free will. Others may feel as though working love spells is acceptable if you are only working a broad spell not targeted at a specific individual. And then there will be those that tell you that you should feel free to practice any spell you want simply because you have the power to do so.

There are some â€œloveâ€ spells though, that have nothing to do with attempting to attract a lover into your life. Some love spells can help to improve an already existing relationship that may be having a few difficulties. It is often common for some relationships to lose some of their passion as the lovers become comfortable with one another and settle into a certain â€œroutine.â€ Maybe the hectic rat-race of everyday life leaves you too drained to become passionate with your partner. Or maybe as youâ€™ve gotten older you feel that passion is only for the young. But I am here to tell you, no matter how old you have gotten and no matter how busy or hectic your life might be, rediscovering that passion with your partner will make both of you happier people and possibly improve any relationship difficulties you are experiencing.

There is a very simple spell that you can perform using roses that can help make your partner more passionate. Now this particular spell is directed towards yourself. It helps to make you more alluring, which can help your partner find that little spark once again. The spell primarily uses roses, but you will need to gather a few other materials as well. To perform the spell, you will need these materials:

Cast your circle and place your materials on your altar. First pick up the red rose, and focus your energies on romance and love from your partner. Place the red rose into the vase. Now pick up the white rose, and focus on the unity that your partner and you share. Add the white rose to the vase. Perform the same action with the purple rose, focusing on the passion you desire. Finally, add the fern foliage to the vase. Ferns symbolize fascination, a feeling which you want your partner to feel to help him or her feel fascinated by your presence and form.

Arrange the roses and fern foliage in the vase. Now keep in mind, your arrangement doesnâ€™t have to come out looking like it came from a professional florist! Personally, I like to create a small background using the fern foliage and then arrange the roses in front of the fern as artfully as I can muster. But that is just my personal preference and not essential for the spell to work. The arrangement will be on â€œdisplay,â€ which is why I like to make my â€œpassionate partnerâ€ flower arrangement look as pretty as I can manage.

Once the flowers are arranged, focus your energies on the flowers and say these words: â€œWith these roses one times three, I seek desire love and sensuality. Ferns add fascination, red to bring me love. Purple bring me passion from my heartâ€™s true love. White to bring me unity that stands the test of time. May the Goddess hear my call and help my love to shine.â€

Tie the red ribbon around the vase or around the flowers if you prefer, and take down your circle as that part of the spell is complete. Place the flower arrangement into an area where it will be near you, but seen by your partner as well. I personally like to fix a nice dinner for two with a few candles and put the flower arrangement right smack dab in the center of the table! The intimate dinner setting helps to add to the romance in the air, and never fails to help add that little spark to things in no time at all.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring â€œResident Witch in Chargeâ€

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